I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers

This book is touching, uplifting and very interesting. All Mr. Rogers fans will enjoy the little-known details that Tim Madigan reveals about Fred Rogers the man. Fred was very influential in shaping Tim's sense of himself, which affected some very important life decisions. This reminds us all that no kindness is too small to matter. You will not want to put this book down; you can, in fact, read it all the way through if you've got about 2 hours.

I happened upon this book...and thought it looked interesting. It's an awesome book. A wonderful story of a friendship between two men in both good and bad times. Mr. Rogers seems to be such an amazing person. So much more than the persona on TV!!! Buy this book!!! Then pass it on!

This book is an all time favorite that has touched me deeply. Tim Madigan writes his own very personal story in a way that impacts the universal longing we all have for significant relationships. I've long since lost count of how many times I have passed a copy of this book on to friends or to counseling clients in my work as a professional therapist.

I grew up without much exposure to television and completely missed Mister Rogers' Neighborhood growing up. Thanks to my 22-month old, I am now a big fan of Mister Rogers and am so pleased that his legacy has endured. This book is for both admirers of Mister Rogers' work as well as those not so familiar with the wonderful man he was. The gifted author Tim Madigan captures the essence of Fred Rogers and shares the friendship they nurtured over several years. Marriage, friendship, family raising, life trials and death are all covered in this gold nugget of a book. Tim Madigan's reputation as an award-winning writer/reporter is once again confirmed! If you're prepared as a reader to embrace sensitive life topics and intermittent periods of laughter and weeping, this book is for you. I have purchased several copies of I'm Proud of You already. I am happy to report that all of my gift recipients have been moved by Tim Madigan's beautiful writing and so enriched by the story he tells.

[...] I grew up in the 70s, and honestly, I was never a big fan of Mister Roger's Neighborhood because it was a bit slow-paced for me. But I knew enough to see that Fred Rogers was a kind and gentle man. I certainly never made fun of him. As I grew older (and matured), and more importantly , became a father, I watched the show and really admired what he was putting forth to children. We live in the day and age of reality television, where MTV can't wait to parade 7 new, often drunk, "role models" on its Real World series. But here's a man who talks to children like they're important people (which they are!) and interacts with each and every person (grown-up) as if they are the most important person in the world. I simply appreciated the man so much more than I had as when I was a kid. Then comes the news of his death, and I was genuinely saddened, just as I was when I learned of Princess Diana's death or Steve Irwin's (the crocodile hunter). But as it always does, life goes on and you forget. Then I read a brief review of Tim's book and I eagerly awaited its release. Having been (and still am) a huge fan of Tuesday's with Morrie, I figured this would be a variation of that. I was right, it was, but it was also so much more. The personal letters that Tim includes are so touching, and prove that Fred was just as much the genuine, kind, loving human being that "played" on TV. Actually, he was so much more. He was an amazing friend, and that speaks volumes to his character. The world was a better place with Fred in it, and we lost something when he died. Tim obviously knew that better than me, that's why I'm thankful for his book because it brings Fred back in a way, and it couldn't have come at a better time. This review may be rambling, but as I noted from the beginning, I'm a rookie at this. "I'm Proud of You" is so worth your time. Please read it and please give copies of it to friends and loved-ones.